FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing schematically an example of a case which houses a magnetic tape cartridge (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-86578). This case 100 is a case which houses a magnetic tape cartridge 101 as shown in FIG. 11. Hereinafter, the magnetic tape cartridge 101 is written also as a cartridge 101 for short.
As shown in FIG. 13, this case 100 can house two cartridges 101. As shown in FIG. 12, the case 100 includes a bottom wall 103, a peripheral wall 104 which is installed so that it rises from the bottom wall 103, and a constant force spring 105.
The bottom wall 103 and the peripheral wall 104 form a chamber 110. The chamber 110 is a room (space) which houses the cartridge 101. The size of the chamber 110 is the size that can house two cartridges 101 in a state of lining up them in a direction which goes from an opening 106 described next to the inner side (see FIG. 13).
The opening (insertion and removal opening) 106 is formed on the peripheral wall 104. The opening 106 has a size that allows each one cartridge 101 to go through. The cartridge 101 enters the chamber 110 and goes out of the chamber 110 through the opening 106.
Further, a tongue parts (lever) 107 is formed on the peripheral wall 104 near the opening 106. A stopper 108 is installed in a free end part of the tongue parts 107. This stopper 108 projects toward the opening 106. By deflection of the tongue parts 107, the stopper 108 can move in a direction to retreat from the opening 106.
The stopper 108 locks a back 111 of the cartridge 101, which is arranged inside the chamber 110, in a state of projecting to the opening 106 (see FIG. 13). In other words, the stopper 108 prevents the cartridge 101 from getting out from the chamber 110 through the opening 106.
The constant force spring 105 is installed on the bottom wall 103. The constant force spring 105 gives biasing force to the cartridge 101, which is arranged in the chamber 110, in a direction F toward the opening 106 (refer to FIG. 13). Although the biasing force is given to the cartridge 10) like this, the stopper 108 locks the cartridge 101 as mentioned above. Because of this, even if the constant force spring 105 gives the biasing force to the cartridge 101, the cartridge 101 is prevented from popping out of the case 100.
When the cartridge 101 is taken out from the case 100, first, by operating the tongue parts (lever) 107, the engaged state of the stopper 108 and the cartridge 101 is unlocked. As a result, by the biasing force of the constant force spring 105, a part of the cartridge 101 is pushed out from the opening 106 outside the case 100. Then, as a machine or a person grasps the part of the pushed out cartridge 101 and draws out the cartridge 101, the cartridge 101 can be taken out from the case 100.
When two cartridges 101 are housed in the case 100, the cartridge 101 in a front side near the opening 106 is taken out as mentioned above. Accompanying the cartridge 101 in the front side moving, as shown in FIG. 14, the cartridge 101 in the inner side moves toward the opening 106 by the biasing force of the constant force spring 105.